Conventionally, inspection of a vehicle for damages and/or defects involves manual processes. A mechanic, for example, the mechanic may inspect the body and/or undercarriage of the vehicle. By inspecting the vehicle, the mechanic may identify, for example, aesthetic or functional damages to the vehicle, parts in need of replacement/repair, vehicle alignment issues, and/or other damage to the vehicle or defects of the vehicle. After identifying damage and/or a defect, the mechanic may determine remedial steps to correct the damage or defect (e.g., correction of wheel alignment, repair of a vehicle part, ordering a replacement vehicle part, etc.).
These manual processes, however, may incur high equipment and labor costs. For example, any inspection of a vehicle may require a mechanic to move the vehicle from its current location (e.g., a parking lot) to a more appropriate location (e.g., a repair bay of an automotive repair shop) that offers more physical space and equipment for vehicle inspection. As another example, a complete and accurate inspection of the vehicle undercarriage may require a means for elevating the vehicle (e.g., a vehicle lift). Furthermore, the costs of any vehicle inspection processes are, naturally, subject to labor costs associated with the mechanics or technicians performing the processes.
After inspecting the vehicle, a mechanic may estimate a cost or parts necessary for a service or repair. Alternatively, the mechanic may manually input results of the inspection into a tool to do the same. However, if the mechanic has misidentified or failed to identify a damage or defect of the vehicle, the mechanic or the tool may provide an inaccurate estimate.